BRICS-member South Africa has entered into a nuclear cooperation agreement with China. The deal focuses on small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), which promise a scalable and incremental development schedule. Aimed at replacing the energy deficit while avoiding extra carbon emissions, they stand a chance of seriously impacting the problem of loadshedding.
The deal builds on a letter of intent signed in November 2024 with the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). South Africa’s Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has argued for nuclear power as vital to the nation’s “just energy transition,” a vision articulated in the Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) from 2019. The IRP targets 2500 megawatts (MW) of new nuclear capacity, with plans for two SMRs by 2030.
There are two SMR models under consideration: China’s ACP100 and South Africa’s HTMR-100.
- The ACP100 is a 125 MW pressurized water reactor (PWR) that can be modified for adding desalination capacity. A demonstration unit is underway in Changjiang, Hainan, with completion slated for 2026. Each unit can produce 1 billion KWh a year, enough for about 526,000 households.
- The HTMR-100 is derived from the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) tech tree, and is a 35 MW helium-cooled reactor designed for remote deployment. It is still in development, but Stratek Global, its developer, is seeking R10 billion to push it forward.
To hit the 2500 MWe goal, the Department would have to commission 20 ACP100 units, or 70 HTMR-100s. The choice will hinge on cost, scalability, and whether South Africa prefers to choose the Chinese or local producers, though a combination is certainly possible, opening the window to bilateral technology transfer.
OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES
In September 2024, China utilized the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) to unveil the China-Africa Forum on Peaceful Use of Nuclear Technology within its Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027). In particular, China has nuclear cooperation agreements with other African states beyond South Africa:
- Nigeria signed a 2024 memorandum with the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) for plants operational by the 2030s;
- Ghana concluded a 2024 deal with CNNC for a Hualong One reactor;
- Kenya agreed in 2015 with CNNC for a 1,000 MW plant by 2034.
Sources:
The Cape Independent, April 11, 2025. https://www.capeindependent.com/…/south-africa-and…
China Global South Project, April 10, 2025. https://chinaglobalsouth.com/…/chinas-strategic…/
China Environment News 